10 Jobs That Will Make You Pull Your Hair Out and Scream

Some jobs simply aren’t worth it. They pay little, require you to travel and work 50 or 60 hours per week, and ultimately erode your mental and physical stamina. In short, they’re stressful jobs. And if you can’t handle them, you’re sure to be torn asunder by the stress and demands, ultimately looking for a new job or career track. This is why there are jobs out there that seemingly nobody wants, despite certain perks and relatively high pay.

Perhaps, though, you enjoy a challenge? Or you simply have a gift for dealing with stress, and can manage high demands better than most. In that case, taking on one of these jobs may be a good route. But just what types of jobs are we talking about, anyway?

“Job stress can come from a variety of different origins: a hazardous work environment, difficult-to-meet deadlines, heavy physical demands, and imminent danger. The annual CareerCast.com 2017 report on the most stressful jobs considers 11 factors to try to paint the most detailed picture of which careers face the most stress,” the report said.

By looking at those 11 factors and ending up with a corresponding “stress score,” CareerCast’s team was able to develop a top 10 list. The 10 most stressful jobs were those with the highest stress score. Some factors taken into consideration were travel, physical demands, competition, and risk of death.

From CareerCast, here are the 10 most stressful jobs in America.

10. Broadcaster

Broadcasters, (L-R) Bill Clement, Don Cherry and Brett Hull speak during the intermission show during an NHL game | Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images for NHL

People generally fear public speaking. Now, imagine doing it professionally, in front of thousands, if not millions of people, regularly. You’d get used to it after a while, but there’s still a healthy amount of pressure that goes along with the job. For that reason, broadcasters make the list. CareerCast gives broadcasters a stress score of 47.93 and a median salary of $37,720.

9. Taxi driver

Taxi and a Limousine driving along the Brooklyn bridge | iStock.com/LSP1982

Driving people around doesn’t seem too difficult on the surface. But when you have to be a driver, navigator, and customer service rep? It can make for one of the most stressful jobs out there. Taxi drivers (you could probably throw Uber and other ride-hailing service drivers in there as well) have a stress score of 48.18. And they earn lousy wages — median salaries are only $23,510.

8. PR executive

A woman going on business trip | iStock.com/YakobchukOlena

Public relations isn’t an easy gig, and according to CareerCast, it’s rife with stress. PR execs have a stress score of 48.5, but that’s offset by fairly high earnings. A median salary for a PR exec is $104,140. The industry is also growing, meaning there are opportunities for those who can handle the heat.

7. Corporate executive

A serious man with one of the most seriously stressful jobs | Douglas Miller/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

You hear a lot about executive and CEO pay. There are even arguments for limiting how much money corporate executives can earn. But given the pressure and stress of the job, high salaries are often warranted. The median salary for a corporate executive is $102,690, and the stress score is 48.56.

6. Newspaper reporter

A scrolling marquee in front of the Washington Post building | Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Working in a shrinking industry for low salaries is a recipe for stress. Newspaper reporters earn a median salary of slightly more than $36,000 per year with a stress score of 49.9.

5. Event coordinator

Work calendar | iStock.com/scyther5

Planning and coordinating events is a nightmare. It’s why we hire wedding planners and other professionals to take care of it, when possible. We’re offloading the stress onto someone else. That’s why event coordinators make the list, with a stress score of 51.15.

4. Police officer

We ask a lot of our police officers. They need to assume many roles at once, all the while keeping their nerve and wits and dealing with some of our society’s uglier elements. It’s pretty obvious that police officers would make this list, then, with a stress score of 51.68. They earn a median salary of $60,270.

3. Airline pilot

A Hawaiian Airlines jet taxies out to the runway at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

Imagine having hundreds of lives in your hands every time you went to work. That’s what it’s like for airline pilots, making it one of the most stressful jobs in America. Airline pilots have a stress score of 60.54 according to CareerCast, but earn a median salary of more than $102,000.

2. Firefighter

Firefighters outside of a building | iStock.com/pixabay

You knew firefighters were going to appear on this list. Firefighters act as first responders, deal with a grueling schedule, and face life-threatening situations on a daily basis. It’s not an easy job, and it’s a very stressful one. Firefighters earn a stress score of 72.68.

1. Enlisted military personnel

Marines load onto a plane | Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images

America’s most stressful job is that of those enlisted in the military. This includes a large number of people, individual jobs and roles, and branches. As such, it is hard to speak to the demands of any individual. But deployments, unpredictable international tensions, and many other factors make being in the military stressful. CareerCast gives military members a stress score of 72.74.